CM Punk gets candid about why he returned to WWE after nearly a decade: "Different people are in charge now"
CM Punk recently disclosed why he returned to WWE after nearly a decade of absence.
After departing the Stamford-based company on bad terms in 2014, the 45-year-old made his long-awaited comeback last November at Survivor Series: WarGames Premium Live Event. He has since signed an exclusive contract with Monday Night RAW and competed in the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble match.
In a recent interview with TNT Sports, Punk addressed why he returned to the promotion after nearly ten years. He stated that "time heals all wounds," pointing out that "different people are in charge now."
"I think it's just time. Timing is everything. You know, I wrestled for a very long time before I signed a WWE contract and I was on the road for 10 years, zero time off. That takes its toll, you know. And I think one of the things that I never did before was try to balance everything out. And I think a lot of fighters, a lot of wrestlers do that. You know, balance is kind of key but when you're young and you wanna go and you have to take every opportunity that comes your way, you can't say no, and then after a while, you burn out," he said.
The Best in the World added:
"So, I burned out 10 years ago. I left. I did some other things. I got to do a lot of cool other stuff. And then, you know, time heals all wounds, you know. You slowly start to realize that, like, you know, a lot of the stuff that happened 10 years ago doesn't matter. Different people come and go. Different people are in charge now. Maybe I can go back and, you know, it kinda fits like an old slipper. And it's good to be back and I'm super happy it happened. And the way I came back and how big it's been never could have been what it was without all the other cr*p, right? So, that's just life, you know. I woke up this morning so it's a good day." [From 03:44 to 04:54]
Check out the entire video below:
CM Punk suffered an injury at WWE Royal Rumble
The Best in the World competed at two live events before making his televised in-ring return at the WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. However, the 45-year-old suffered a torn tricep during a spot with Drew McIntyre.
In his interview with TNT Sports, CM Punk provided a timeline for his in-ring return, revealing he is expected to make his comeback in six to eight months:
"We're thinking maybe 6-8 months, but I'm not really in a rush to get back to compete. I'm in a rush to get healthy. I'm in a rush to get better. And the sooner I do that, the better I'll be when I come back," he said.
Punk will probably go after Drew McIntyre upon his return to in-ring action. The Scottish Warrior attacked The Best in the World on RAW after Rumble. McIntyre also claimed he prayed for him to get injured. It would be interesting to see the two former WWE Champions go head-to-head.
Do you think CM Punk made the right decision to return to WWE? Sound off in the comments section below.
Please credit TNT Sports and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use the above transcription.